Don Owens was a well known favorite disc jockey who held the reigns at radio station WARL (which is
now WAVA) in Arlington, Virginia.

Jim Clark wrote in tribute to Don in one publication that he had always taken a liking to country
music. When he was in the United States Air Force in 1951, he bought his first and only guitar,
a Martin for $125, plus another $40 for the case. It was unique - it was a special left-handed
guitar they made for him.

In a 1949 Buddy Starcher Fan Club Newsletter, mention was made that Don was spinning
records for listeners over WGAY out of Silver Spring, Maryland.

Bobby Gregory told readers that in I953 Don had moved from WEAM in Arlington to WBMD in Baltimore.

He would typically lead off his shows with a short nod to his listeners, "Keep smiling and don't let
the weather get you down—and you'll have a brighter day." With those words, he would cue
up Doc Williams and the Border Riders doing their version of "Silver Bells." Later on,
he would use the same tune as done by Larry Richardson and Happy Smith.

It was at a theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland where he made one of his first stage
appearances. On that same show was another local, Bill Mayhugh, who eventually
began working at radio station WOL. The two of them put together a show with their
guitars and vocals. The two of them worked at various radio stations and upon
returning from a stint in Del Rio, Texas (which is near the Laughlin AFB), Don landed himself
a job at WARL in August 1954. He was not exactly a rookie as he had been working in radio since
he was 14 years old.

At that time WARL's staff included Connie B. Gay, Phil Long, Sam Brown and Ray Armand.

Legend has it that he walked to work for nearly three months - two miles each way - until he had
saved enough money to buy a car.

Mr. Clark tells readers that one of Don's biggest thrills was interviewing Gene Autry at the
Ambassador Hotel in 1959 as part of his 4th Anniversary show.

As time went by with WARL, he started to do a television show over WTTG-TV called "T. V. Jamboree."

Over the years he was at one time the manager for such acts in the Distict of Columbia area as
Roy Clark, Vernon Taylor, Jimmy Haney, Luke Gordon and the late Patsy Cline.

In 1957, Rustic Rhythm magazine published a picture of him doing a dedication of
a memorial at the station for Hank Williams. Hank had won a popularity poll at the station
Inside a simple white picket fence, a blue spruce tree had been planted.

WARL also sponsored a "Whisker Derfy" in 1957 to help raise funds for the National
Children's Rehabilitation Center in Leesburg, Virginia. The contest fran from
January 4, 1957 through May 4, 1957. At the end, all of the contestants, including
the station folks who participated met at the station then located at 5232 Lee Highway
in Arlington, Virginia.

He could also write a country song or two. He wrote such tunes as "Cold Dark Waters," "A Thief In the
Heart of a Rose," "What Would I Do Without You," "I Hope You're Satisfied", "Adios Novia", "Satisfaction
Guaranteed", "Eight Years In Atlanta" and "Each Ring of the
Hammer."

Don did several recordings as you will see listed below. But during our research, we found
an instance of the early career of one of Country Music's Hall of Famers - Jack Clement produced
his Blue Ridge recording of "You Fool" b/w "I Hope You're Satisfied".

Sadly, his career lasted only nine years. On an early Sunday morning around 4:20am on April 21, 1963,
he died in an auto accident when his car struck a tree.